Ethiopia | Accuses Eritrea of Military Aggression Along Border, Raising Specter of Renewed Conflict
Oasis Media Collective | East Africa Wire | February 9, 2026
KEY FACTS
Ethiopia formally accused Eritrea of military aggression and supporting armed groups on February 8, 2026, demanding troop withdrawal from disputed border areas.
Most serious confrontation in years between the nations, which fought a deadly 1998-2000 border war leaving territorial disputes unresolved.
Ethiopia seeks Red Sea port access while dispute threatens stability in the Horn of Africa and a critical global shipping corridor.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — Ethiopia has formally accused neighboring Eritrea of military aggression and supporting armed groups within Ethiopian territory, marking the most serious diplomatic confrontation between the two nations in years and raising fears of renewed hostilities in the volatile Horn of Africa.
In a letter delivered Saturday, Ethiopia’s foreign minister demanded the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean troops from what Addis Ababa describes as occupied Ethiopian land along their shared border. The communication characterized military activities near the frontier as “acts of outright aggression,” signaling a dramatic escalation in tensions between the longtime rivals.
Eritrea has not publicly responded to the latest accusations. The renewed crisis follows deteriorating relations since the 2022 Tigray peace agreement, which temporarily eased hostilities but left fundamental disagreements unresolved.
The dispute centers on longstanding territorial grievances dating back to the 1998-2000 border war, which ended without fully settling boundary lines. Ethiopia has linked the current tensions to broader strategic concerns, particularly its pursuit of guaranteed access to Red Sea ports for trade—a vital economic interest for the most populous landlocked nation in the world.
The stakes extend far beyond the two countries. Any escalation threatens regional security in an area already destabilized by civil conflict and insurgencies. More critically, the dispute affects the Red Sea shipping corridor, through which vital global trade in oil, gas, and other exports flows daily.
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